Baseball Most Home Runs In A Season
There aren’t many things more exciting than watching your favorite players hit the ball out of the park and, more importantly, scoring one or more runs for their team. In the 2022 season, Aaron Judge brought excitement on a daily basis en route to smashing 62 home runs, a new American League record for home runs in a season. But what is the record for the MLB as a whole? Keep reading to learn which players have landed the most home runs in an MLB season.
Most Home Runs in an MLB Season
- Barry Bonds: 73 (2001)
- Mark McGwire: 70 (1998)
- Sammy Sosa: 66 (1998)
- Mark McGwire: 65 (1998)
- Sammy Sosa: 64 (2001)
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds still holds the record for most home runs in a season, having hit 73 in 2001. The seven-time MVP logged mind-boggling numbers across the board. In addition to the 73 home runs, Bonds recorded 137 RBIs, a .328 BA, and led the league in various offensive statistics, including his 1.379 OPS and 177 BB. He was also awarded his fourth MVP award that year.
Unfortunately for Bonds and his teammates, the San Francisco Giants did not have a very successful season in 2001. They finished 90-72 but ultimately missed the Wild Card (1st round of the playoffs) by three games.
Discussing Barry Bond’s historic 73-home run season is hard to do without addressing the elephant in the room. He is often criticized for his use of performance-enhancing substances throughout his career. Some people think Bonds assembled the greatest individual season of all time, while others believe what he did should be ignored.
Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire holds both the second and fourth spots for most home runs in a season, hitting 70 HRs in 1998 and 65 HRs the following season, both with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, like Bonds, McGwire was found guilty of using performance-enhancing substances. In addition to leading the league with 70 home runs in 1998, he was the leader in multiple other statistics, including BBs with 162 and OPS with 1.222.
In 1999, McGwire led the MLB in home runs (with 65) and RBIs (with 147). A fun fact about Big Mac’s back-to-back historic seasons is that they were the 13th and 14th seasons of his 16-year career, meaning that he saved his best for his nearly last. McGwire also won the World Series in 1989 as a member of the Oakland Athletics.
Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa holds the third and fifth spots for most home runs in a season, having hit 66 in 1998 and 64 in 2001. Coincidentally, these are the same seasons, respectively, that McGwire recorded his 70 HRs and Bonds recorded his record-breaking 73 hits. Like Bonds and McGwire, Sosa also tested positive for performance-enhancing substances, but his two historic seasons are still in the record books.
In 1998, Sosa led the MLB in various categories such as RBIs (158), runs scored (134), and total bases (416). In 2001, he led the league in RBIs with 160, runs with 146, and total bases with 425. One of the greatest hitters of all time, Sosa is one of nine players in MLB history to reach 600 career home runs. He spent 13 of his 18 seasons with the Cubs, where he became a seven-time All-Star and broke many team records.
FAQ
What are the most home runs hit in a single MLB baseball season?
The record for most home runs hit in a single MLB baseball season is 73. The rest of the top five most home runs hit in a season are 70, 66, 65, and 64. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hit 62 home runs in 2022 but did not crack the top five. The list of players who have hit 70 or more home runs in a season still stands at two.
Who hit the most home runs in an MLB season?
Barry Bonds owns the record for most home runs in an MLB season. He hit 73 for the San Francisco Giants in 2001. Two players make up the rest of the top five of the most home runs in a season. Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999, and Sammy Sosa hit 66 in 1998 and 64 in 2001.